


Tell Me Stories Of The Sea

by AngelWithAStory



Series: Fake AH Kings [3]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Achievement Hunter Kings, Alternate Universe - Grand Theft Auto Setting, Drinking, F/M, Fake AH Crew, Fake AH Kings, Side Story, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Underage Stripper, Undercover Missions, fem!Jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-24 10:21:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6150442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWithAStory/pseuds/AngelWithAStory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack let herself stew for a while.</p><p>It wasn’t a glamorous bathroom with a bathtub big enough to be classed as a pool with a glass of champagne within arm's reach and candles lit everywhere. No, it was the dingy bath in their even dingier apartment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Regret

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaaaaaaaandddddd here we go, Fake AH Kings drabble #2
> 
> this time with added superpals Geoff and Jack!!
> 
> (also I realised when writing the tags that if you're American, there is underage drinking in this fic)
> 
> (also also fic title from Santa Monica Dream by Angus and Julia Stone, that I know from Episode 1 of Life is Strange)

Jack let herself stew for a while.

It wasn’t a glamorous bathroom with a bathtub big enough to be classed as a pool with a glass of champagne within arm's reach and candles lit everywhere. No, it was the dingy bath in their even dingier apartment. At least Jack had managed to set up a speaker on the sink so she could listen to some band that she had found herself fond of. They weren’t particularly great or popular, but Jack found she could just listen and relax.

Geoff had left her a couple beers, so Jack was currently sipping her way through one as she did her best to forget what had happened.

Jack glanced down at herself through the water and sighed. Her skin was a motley of colours and every single inch was tender.

She still wasn’t sure how it happened. It wasn’t like it was her first job. Or her second. Or even her tenth. They were probably closer to a hundred at that point and the twenty-one year old wondered how she still managed to fuck up.

 _At least_ she had been wearing the body armour Geoff had forked out for.

 _At least_ the bullets had only grazed her arms.

 _At least_ the police had better things to do.

 _At least_ Jack didn’t fuck up with the getaway like she had last time and almost lost her own life.

There were a lot of ‘ _at least_ ’s running through Jack’s mind as she lay in the cooling water, slowly sipping her beer.

Her thoughts began to wander to her surroundings. The apartment really was a shithole - even if it was leagues better than the one she’d first shared with Geoff.

One day, they’d own a nice apartment. No, not just _nice_ : one of the best apartments in the city. The kind that only fuckhead politicians and corrupt businessmen had but only used to impress women.

Jack liked entertaining herself with ideas of a better life. She had played this game with herself for years. Her childhood home was warm but it was still out in the sticks and her family was still poor. So Jack liked to think about the things she could own if she was rich and famous.

Expensive dresses that girls in Bond films would wear; a pool so big it would take her forever to swim across it; fast, expensive cars that she could have customised to her heart’s content; a new kitchen that Geoff could cook in as much as he wanted; a bathtub as big as a jacuzzi. The list went on.

It was a game she played with herself for as long as she could remember, each item on the list changing as she did.

But for the first time in her life, Jack knew it was a possibility.

For the first time _ever_ , Jack could practically _touch_ the life she’d dreamed of. Geoff was getting better and better job offers every day. Their names were beginning to gain some traction amongst the drug dealers and petty thieves. There was even whispers of some higher-ups catching wind of them.

Jack was even beginning to forge her own alliances. Just a few people here and there that she interacted with on a regular basis that had caught wind of her skills and respected her.

Barely able to legally drink and Jack was already making a name for herself with the criminal underground.

What would her uncle say if he knew what his ‘ _little Jackie_ ’ had grown into?

There was the smallest knock at the door and Jack sat up a bit, ignoring the protests her muscles gave.

“Come in.” Jack called, placing her beer bottle on the edge of the bath.

Geoff poked his head around the door, using his hand to block any way he could accidentally see Jack’s breasts or… Anything other than her face and collarbone to be honest.

“How are you doing, Jack?” Geoff asked, walking up to the bath tub and sitting on the edge so he could face her.

“I’ve been better.” Jack admitted, lifting her head back so it was resting on the far end of the tub.

“Anything I can do?” Geoff asked.

“Can I have another beer?” Jack’s hand twitched around the empty beer bottle and Geoff took it from her gently.

“Sure.” Geoff leaned forwards and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. It was a simple gesture and a loving one at that, and it warmed Jack’s chest.

Yeah, maybe they weren’t all that rich and they weren’t famous yet, but Jack wouldn’t trade this life for any other.

\----------------------------------

_A few days before…_

Jack looked around the room and assessed the crowd. The women were chatting amongst themselves, getting last minute make up touch-ups, changing into their outfits without a care of who saw them. Most of them had the look in their eye of someone who had grown to accept everything about themselves, and some small part of Jack envied that.

Jack went back to the woman whose hair she was styling and focused again.

Undercover or not, she had a job to do. The woman was applying blood red lipstick to her thin lips, staying as still as she could while Jack curled her hair carefully and arranged it around her face to be as ‘ _hardcore sexy_ ’ (as instructed by her employer) as she could.

“Ladies! Ten minutes until showtime!” A loud-mouthed man shouted, barely walking in the door to yell his order.

The atmosphere became just a bit more urgent as the women made the last preparations before the night began. Each dance was only a few minutes, but some dancers stayed on for multiple songs or went on multiple times. In between performances, the dancers knew they were expected to entertain the people at the tables.

Jack finished the woman’s hair and moved so she could adjust the jewellery the dancer had chosen.

“Ready?” Jack asked, smiling reassuringly at the woman.

“Another night, another dollar.” The woman replied, standing up and making sure her heels were on tight enough. “Thanks, doll.” She said, pressing a feather-light kiss to Jack’s cheek before she walked in the direction of the stage.

Jack was stunned for a quick second, but she put the curlers on a heatproof mat and began tidying up the dressing table just a bit. If she was going to keep up this facade, then she was going to pretend for all she was. Besides, if everything went to plan, Jack would never have to leave the dressing room and they would be so much better off for it.

Someone tapped Jack’s shoulder and she turned to see a red-headed woman smiling at her kindly. The woman looked serene and Jack had the strangest feeling they’d met before, even though she’d never seen this woman before in her life.

“Hey, can you help me with my makeup?” The woman asked.

“Sure, take a seat.” Jack said, patting the seat of the fold out chair that she was using as she turned it so she could easily apply the makeup. The woman took a seat and Jack moved to the front of the woman. “What do you want done? Anything in particular?”

“Do you have gold eyeshadow?” The woman asked, looking over at the small collection of bottles and palettes that Jack had been given and told to use to make the dancers ‘ _perfect_ ’.

“Yeah, somewhere.” Jack said, rifling around the palettes until she found the one she was looking for. “How long ‘til you’re on?”

“A couple hours. I’m mostly on the floor tonight.” The woman said. Jack nodded and began painting some foundation on the woman’s face.

One skill Geoff hadn’t been able to teach her in all their years of friendship was how to contour a face like a pro. (Though he had been able to teach her how to perfectly blend eyeshadow and how to make lipstick last longer - she never asked where he picked up those skills).

“I’m Ruby. Haven’t seen you around here before.” Ruby said, looking up at Jack curiously. “What’s he got on you, Jack?”

“What do you mean?” Jack asked, using her fingers to apply some darker and lighter tones to different areas of Ruby’s face.

“The boss has got something on _everyone_ here. No one’s here by choice.” Ruby said. Her voice wasn’t sad, or challenging; she was stating a fact.

“What has he got on _you_?” Jack asked, blending the tones together. Ruby smiled a sly smile.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“He doesn’t have anything on me.” Jack said, picking up a brush and coating it lightly in gold eyeshadow. “I heard there was a job opening for a stylist, I applied, I got the job. So, what has he got on you?”

“A couple fraud charges.” Ruby said casually. “Not too bad. One girl in here’s got a murder charge hanging over her.”

“Wow.” Jack tapped off the excess powder off the brush. “Eyes closed please. So why does the bossman get blackmail on his employees?”

“He needs to make sure his people stay, so he finds the guilty and makes them sexy for a living.” Ruby said casually, obeying what Jack said and closing her eyes so Jack could do her eyeshadow. “And then they do what he says, or go to jail for vamped up crimes. Usually, I’m a barmaid, _but_ one of the girls left and never turned up again. So here I am.”

“Damn.” Jack leaned back and gently blew off the excess powder. “What do you think so far?” She asked, putting the brush down on the dressing table.

“Wow.” Ruby said, admiring herself in the mirror. She turned her head slightly to see herself from different angles. “I love it.”

“Good. I’ll just do some lipstick and then you’ll be good to go.” Jack said, turning back to all the makeup. She felt a hand on her arm and looked up in surprise. Ruby was on her feet, her knuckles almost white as she gripped Jack’s arm like it would save her life.

“You need to leave.” Ruby hissed, standing uncomfortably close to Jack. Jack felt an uncomfortable chill pass over her from the intense look in Ruby’s eye and a deep sense of _foreboding_ settled in Jack’s stomach.

“Wh-”

“Shut up and listen.” Ruby snapped, but not maliciously. “This isn’t a good place, and the boss is _not_ a good guy. You _have_ to leave. Now. Get your Crew, or your boyfriend or whoever and do what you’re going to do here _quickly_. No one is here by choice.”

“How old are you?” Jack asked, suddenly realising just how young Ruby looked.

“As far as the Boss knows, I’m twenty.” Ruby said, not moving away from Jack.

“And how old are you really?”

“Seventeen.” Ruby admitted, her voice small and quiet. “Almost eighteen.”  

“Jesus Christ. _Seventeen._ ” Jack breathed out. She had to look away from this- practically this _child_ \- who was wearing an outfit that barely qualified as underwear. Jack looked back up and kept Ruby’s gaze. “Okay, tell me, how the _fuck_ did you get mixed in with all this?”

“I had a boyfriend that had debts to pay off and I thought we were in love.” Ruby admitted. “It started off with just being a barmaid, and now look where I am. This’ll happen to you too, Jack.”

“Ruby, I can’t just _leave_ right now. It’s too suspicious.” Jack said. “Right now, we’re being too suspicious.” Her eyes darted up and she saw the edge of a security personnel uniform come around the corner.

Jack practically ripped her arm out of Ruby’s grip and took a step back to put some distance between them. She reached up and began adjusting Ruby’s hair as the bouncer came into view.

“There, I’m almost done.” Jack promised, reaching to get one of the lipsticks on the dressing table.

“And how are we, ladies?” The bouncer asked. Jack had to disguise the signs of relief when she recognised the voice as someone friendly.

“Haven’t seen you around.” Ruby said, her voice bright and friendly again. Jack realised she wasn’t the only actress in the place.

“I’m a new hire.” Geoff the Bouncer replied. “I was told to check on the girls.”

“We’re just doing the final touches to the make up.” Jack said, smiling at him sweetly. She dabbed some of the lipstick onto Ruby’s face (a soft pink instead of the dark red most of the girls wore - it was only small but Jack couldn’t bring herself to put such a seductive shade on such a young girl).

“Well when you’re finished, can I have a word with you?” Geoff the Bouncer asked, leaning in to say that quietly to Jack. Jack just nodded and Geoff stepped backwards, given them room.

“I’m almost done.” Jack said. She wanted to stall deliberately, take more time than she needed just to keep Ruby from having to go out where men old enough to be her father would leer at her. “There we go. Perfect.” Jack said, faking her smile and putting the lipstick tube back in its rightful place.

Ruby looked at herself in the mirror and beamed, pulling Jack into a fierce hug.  

“Jack, get out of here while you can.” Ruby hissed, keeping her voice low enough so that Geoff couldn’t hear what she was saying.

“I’ll get you out of here too.” Jack didn’t know why she said that but she knew it was true. Jack knew as soon as she said it that she meant it with every fibre of her being. For all she knew, Ruby certainly wasn’t the only one working here out of coercion.

Ruby let go of her and walked towards the front of the building. Jack resisted the urge to call her back. She took a breath and turned her attention to Geoff. He must have known something was up because of the way he glanced at Ruby as she walked through the door.

“What’s wrong, Jack?” Geoff asked, leaning in close. Jack glanced around them and realised the majority of the women were out being ‘ _entertaining'_.

“Most of these women are here against their will.” Jack hissed, keeping her voice low. “The Boss collects blackmail information on each employee and uses it to keep them coming back here every night. We need to make our move soon.”

“Well I’ve been asking around and none of the guys out there seem to know anything about any deals the Boss has made.” Geoff said. Jack sighed and resisted the urge to pull at her hair or run her hands down her face. She had spent far too long on making herself look different to mess it up.

“Why did we even accept this job?” Jack muttered, mostly to herself.

“Because it was either find evidence on this guy or get arrested.” Geoff reminded her. “We’re lucky as it is that Burns was the one who caught us. He hates these fuckers _way_ more than he hates us.”

“So let’s do it quickly.” Jack said. “I don’t want to think about what might happen if we stay here too long.”

“Believe me, Jack. The sooner we’re out of this place, the better.” Geoff agreed, standing up fully and shifting back into the persona he had created for this job. He nodded to Jack and left the room, smiling at some of the last women in the room as he walked.

Jack suddenly felt a weight settle on her shoulders but she forced herself to smile genuinely when one of the other women came up to her and asked for help with her hair.


	2. The Grind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story's actually finished, but I might go back and tweak some things about the ending

Jack glanced at the cheap watch she had on her wrist and held in her sigh of relief.

2:55 am. The club was going to close soon.

Jack started packing up her make up. She couldn’t take it home with her, but if they were in for a long job, then Jack had a feeling she should just leave the makeup at the club. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and Jack looked up to see one of the bouncers that she had seen but didn’t know the name of.

“The Boss wants to see you in his office.” The bouncer said.

“Now?” Jack asked, shutting the clasps on the makeup box.

“Yeah. Now.” The bouncer said. He sounded almost apologetic but Jack chose not to dwell on it.

“Alright, give me a second.” Jack said. She shut the final box and turned to the bouncer. He didn’t even try to give her a smile before he led her to the Boss’s office. Jack saw a single chair in front of a desk and sat in it, poising herself to be professional and seemingly at ease.

The bouncer left Jack in the empty office and she let out a shaky breath. It would have been a lot less nerve wracking if there wasn’t a clock on the wall with a mysterious dark stain on it.

Jack waited a few seconds before she stood up and rifled through the sheets on top of the desk. It was unlikely that there would be any _serious_ documents just lying about on top of the desk, but it was in such a state that Jack liked her chances.

Her hand almost skipped over one sheet of paper with a couple words hastily written down. Jack paused and picked up the paper. It looked promising and Jack folded it twice and slipped the paper into her bra cup.

Footsteps sounded outside the door and Jack spun around, molding her face into one of innocence and mild fear.

The Boss appeared at the door and eyed up Jack, not suspiciously though, much to Jack’s relief.

“Sit.” He said, walking past her to his desk. Jack obliged and perched on the edge of the chair, waiting patiently for the Boss to start talking. He silently shifted some papers and put them in piles that had no order Jack could tell. The silence stretched on and Jack felt her level of panic begin to creep up.

 _Finally_ , the Boss coughed and reached into his drawer and pulled out a bag. He threw it to Jack and she almost dropped it. It felt heavy and Jack let herself peer inside of it. The bottom of the bag had a large stack of bills on its side so Jack wasn’t sure of its exact value.

“Go.” The Boss said, catching Jack’s attention.

“What’s this for?” Jack asked.

“That’s your wages. And a way to make sure you come back tomorrow.” He said, barely glancing up at Jack. “Go. Get home. And be back here at eleven tonight.”

Jack stood up, clutching the bag tightly in her hand and left the room. She felt slightly conflicted as she went to go collect her handbag. Jack stuffed the bag of money into the beaten, reliable messenger bag and slung it over her body.

The early morning air was cold and Jack was glad for it. The inside of the club had been stifling all night and it was weird that the dirty city air was refreshing. Geoff was nowhere to be seen but Jack’s car was parked a few streets away so she quickly made her way to it.

The headlights were on and Jack felt herself relax when she saw Geoff’s familiar shape in the front seat, behind the wheel. Jack slipped into the passenger seat. Neither of them spoke for a second but Geoff extended his hand towards Jack and she took it wordlessly. A bit of reassurance; that’s what they both needed.

“I got a bag of money.” Jack said finally, breaking the silence. Geoff let out a laugh at that and took his hand back to start driving the car.

“One of the other bouncers told me there was a new stylist with the dancers.” Geoff said, pulling out onto the road. “And apparently, the guys tipped pretty big tonight. And I’ll admit, those girls looked pretty good tonight.”

“Well the other stylist kept wanting to put black eyeshadow and red lipstick on _every_ dancer even when it wouldn’t work.” Jack said, shrugging. “Thanks for teaching me all those makeup tricks, by the way.” She added, rolling her head on the headrest to look at Geoff. He smiled and the green of the traffic lights cast a nice light over his features.

“Someone had to teach you.” Geoff shrugged, not looking away from the road.

“I could have taught myself.” Jack said, looking to the road as well. “Or used magazines.”

“ _Eh_ . It was easier if I just taught you what I knew.” Geoff’s smile became a little wicked and Jack found herself smiling as well. (Geoff ‘ _Fuck Gender Roles And The Government_ ’ Ramsey, ever since adolescence)

“Are you ever going to tell me how you got so good with makeup?” Jack asked. “Was it covering up tattoos from people?” Geoff laughed a little as he turned a corner onto a more familiar street.

“A little. I think you’re old enough to know now.” Geoff admitted. Jack sobered immediately as she realised Geoff was probably going to actually tell her. “It was mostly to cover up bruises I got from my shits of foster parents. There was a girl in the foster home with me and she let me use her makeup to cover the more noticeable ones.”

“How many kids were in your foster home?” Jack asked. It was so rare that Geoff talked about it (not even when drunk, really) but Jack didn’t want to make Geoff feel like she was pressuring for answers.

“Five? I think there were seven of us at one point. I was the oldest. And we weren’t close.” Geoff admitted. “Now I get to ask you a question.” He said, glancing at Jack while he drove.

“Shoot.”

“Tell me about your first homecoming.” Geoff said. He sounded genuinely curious and Jack wondered how long he’d been thinking about this.

“It was… A bit boring, actually.” Jack said, choosing her words carefully. “I mean, it was _fun_ , but… I didn’t like my dress.”

“You didn’t like your dress?” Geoff repeated, sounding more amused than anything.

“It was too long and frilly. But my parents had saved up for it so I wore it and one girl tried to make fun of me for it.” Jack said.

“So what did you do?” Geoff asked.

“Spilled my drink on her dress and went home.” Jack said, a proud smile on her face. “She tried to get back at me for it, but that was after I knew how to punch properly.”

“That’s my girl.” Geoff’s smile was so genuinely proud and Jack felt a nice feeling settle over her.

“Okay, I get another question.” Jack said.

“Then I get a second one too.” Geoff bargained.

“Deal. Who did you take to your prom?” Jack brought one knee up and wrapped her arms around it. It almost felt like those first few days when Jack was still shaken up and mourning and Geoff was desperately trying to find ways to contact Jack’s uncle to tell him. They would stay up almost all night, facing each other on the only bed in the apartment and getting to know each other again after almost five years of being apart. Relearning the others favourite foods, favourite music, favourite books, sounds, sights, place, animal. Relearning their friendship.

“Who I took to prom?” Geoff repeated, musing over the answer. “I didn’t have a _date_ , but I did go with my friend who was bummed out because he _didn’t_ have a date. We wore matching tuxedos.” He smiled at the memory.

“Didn’t you tell me you lost your virginity to your prom date?” Jack said, a knowing smile on her face.

“Well, that too.” Geoff admitted. “He was hot and we were drunk.”

“That’s fair.” Jack said, shrugging. “So what’s your question for me?” She asked. Geoff stopped at a red light and turned thoughtful for a moment.

“Why don’t you ever talk about your boyfriend from high school?” Geoff asked, his voice sobre and sincere. Jack opened her mouth to protest but Geoff cut her off. “And _no_ , I’m not baiting you into anything, I’m just curious. You told me you had one, but you never even told me his name.”

Jack was tempted to lie, but that felt like it would be a punch to the balls after Geoff’s brutal honesty.  

“We… didn’t part on good terms.” Jack said slowly. She took a deep breath and forced herself to keep calm. “You don’t have to hear this if you don’t want to.”

“I asked, didn’t I?”

Jack looked back at the road and gathered her thoughts. He took another breath and felt Geoff’s hand reach out for hers. The small amount of contact was the reassurance she needed.

“We went out for maybe six months but then he brought me back to his place and tried to get me drunk. He kept telling me that he’d waited long enough and that it was what people did when they went out for as long as we did. And at the time, I thought that maybe I might love him, so I went along with it, even if I’ve never really _wanted_ sex. We were over at his house one night and he got me drunk on cheap whiskey so that I would go along with what he wanted. He got me out of my shirt before I kind of realised what was going on, so I ran out the house and my mom found me crying in the bathroom an hour later. I called him the next day to tell him that I wanted to break up.” Jack felt Geoff’s gaze on her and shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “What? I panicked.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Geoff protested. “I would have done the same thing, to be honest.”

“I did end up dating his best friend about a week later.” Jack said. There was a beat of silence before they both laughed and Jack felt the knot of tension in her chest alleviate.

Geoff had to let go of her hand to park the car and Jack thought that she could see he very early streaks of morning in the sky above them.

“Come on, let’s get some sleep.” Geoff said.

“Oh, I stole this off the Boss’ desk.” Jack said, suddenly remembering the piece of paper in her bra. She pulled it out and finally read what was on it. It had that day’s date on it and a location just outside the city scrawled on it.

“I’ll go call Burns _after_ we get some sleep.” Geoff said, turning off the engine and looking over at Jack. He looked tired but he still smiled at Jack brightly. “Only after.”

“Fine.” Jack said, folding the paper again and putting it in her handbag. She just hoped that the information would be enough to get them off the hook.

***

Jack carefully dusted some eyeshadow on one of the dancers, frowning in concentration. Someone tapped her shoulder but Jack was too busy concentrating.

“In a second.” Jack said vaguely to the person behind her, waving a brush at them. She quickly finished the dancer’s makeup and smiled through the ‘ _thank you_ ’s she got.

Jack tidied up the brushes she was using and finally turned around to see Ruby almost glaring at her.

“Can I have a word?” Ruby asked, grabbing Jack’s arm and leading her away somewhere more private. The night had already started, so there were very few people left in the dressing rooms and backstage.

“What?” Jack asked, taking her arm back.

“I told you to get the _fuck_ out of here and not look back.” Ruby hissed, keeping her voice low enough for it to still be secret.

“And I told _you_ I can’t.” Jack replied. “Look, don’t worry about me. I know what I’m getting into.”

“ _No_! You don’t.” Ruby protested. “You have no idea what he can do.”

“Ruby,” Jack said, firm but gentle. “You need to focus on _yourself_. I can handle this.”

“Yeah I know.” Ruby said. “By the way, a gun in your purse doesn’t _scream_ trustworthy.”

“Wh-”

“I found it in your bag, so I hid it before the bouncers could find it.” Ruby said. “Don’t worry, it’s safe now. I gave it to your boyfriend bouncer.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Jack said instinctively.  She did breathe out heavily in relief though. “At least it’s safe.”

“Believe me, you’re the best thing to ever happen to us, so you can’t stay here.” Ruby said. “Because either you’ll be trapped here like we are, or you’ll be dead. The Boss isn’t happy today, and I think you know why.”

“If you don’t want anything to happen, then stay out of it, Ruby.” Jack said. “You don’t have to get involved in this at all. Why do you keep warning me?”

“Because I know who you _are_. Who you both are.” Ruby said, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“Then you know we can handle this.” Jack said firmly. Ruby could tell by the tone that there wasn’t any room to argue.

“Everyone who crosses the Boss ends up dead.” Ruby snapped, stalking away out towards the front of the building.

Jack sighed and gave herself a moment to collect herself. Maybe she should have listened to Ruby’s warnings, but Jack knew it would just be easier to keep her out of it. Burns had said that the information was promising, and they would probably know just how valuable by the next day. It was almost midnight; just a few more hours. A few more hours and she could go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geoff 'Rebellious-In-Every-Life-Time' Ramsey


	3. The Worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realised that I hadn't updated this in forever
> 
> it's a little disheartening at how much people seem to be less interested in this fic compared to the others in the series so I'll probably try to have it completed before my exams in may/june

“Jack! The Boss wants to see you.” A bouncer said, stalking up to Jack. Most of the dancers were still working and there was still half an hour until the club closed. “Now.” The bouncer stopped and something in his posture put Jack on edge. Years of training herself to read people as closely as she could has made her aware of warning signs that the majority couldn’t see.

“Alright. I’ll be right there.” Jack said, turning to tidy up her workspace.

“Now.” The bouncer repeated, grabbing Jack’s arm and not so softly pulling her towards the Boss’ office. Every muscle in Jack’s body tensed and it took everything in her to force herself to go along with it, to not struggle against the strong grip on her.

“What’s this for?” Jack asked as she was practically dumped inside the office. The Boss himself was sat at his desk, watching Jack with a suspiciously blank face.

“Get the other one as well.” The Boss ordered, nodding towards the bouncers. “Sit down.” He looked pointedly at a two chairs set up in front of him.

Jack sat on the chair closest to the door. She was sure that the ‘ _other one_ ’ was referring to Geoff and she felt her stomach drop. Had they been found out? _Fuck!_ She would have to talk their way out of this if they were even _slightly_ onto them.

“Seriously, why am I here? I have a job I need to do.” Jack said, risking rudeness if it meant maybe getting an answer. (Maybe if she was lucky they would just think she was devoted to her job).

The Boss didn’t answer and Jack was forced to wait until she heard the sounds of someone being escorted into the room as well. She turned her head as they rounded the door frame and saw Ruby being dragged in by the arm as well. She was wearing her ‘ _performing_ ’ outfit (that still made Jack was to wrap the poor girl up and hide her away from this place) but she was wearing an oversized jacket over the thread of fabric she was being forced to flaunt.

“This her?” The bouncer asked.

“That’s her.” The Boss confirmed, nodding towards the second chair. The bouncer dumped Ruby into the second chair and Jack suddenly saw the few bouncers that surrounded them. Geoff wasn’t among them. She couldn’t tell if she was relieved or not by that.

“What the fuck is going on?” Jack demanded, rounding on the Boss. His face was blank and obviously unimpressed with Jack’s anger.

“Someone told the LSPD about a deal that we had organised. When we showed up, the cops were waiting for us.” The Boss said slowly. “The only people that were in this office without supervision when that information could have been stolen were myself, and you, Jack.”

“What are you implying?” Jack’s voice was harsh and defensive.

“I’m saying you tipped off the cops, Pattillo.” The Boss said, standing up and walking around so he stood in front of Jack. “I just want to know why.”

“That’s not all you want.” Jack said, as calmly as she could through her fear and rage.

“You’re smart.” The Boss said, but it didn’t sound like a compliment. “I want to know _why_. Then, I want to know why you came back here.”

“If I was guilty, why would I come back?” Jack asked.

“To throw me off.” The Boss kept his distance but something about him was just overly intimidating.

“I’m not that stupid.” Jack shot back. “If I did tip off the cops, then I would be a million miles away from here.”

“Hmm.” The Boss eyed her. Jack couldn’t tell what he was thinking and that unsettled her. He looked at the bouncers that surrounded them and nodded towards Ruby.

Immediately, they pounced on her but Ruby was faster. She jumped out of the chair and pulled a gun out the inside of the jacket she wore, backing herself into the corner to keep her eyes on everyone else in the room. Jack recognised it as _her_ gun that _should_ have been in her bag.

Ruby’s expression was calm and controlled as she aimed the gun at the bouncers that threatened to enclose her. Jack could see the tension in her shoulders, but it wasn’t fear. More like, apprehension.

There was a beat of the most tense silence Jack could remember before she saw  the Boss give an almost invisible nod of his head. As one, the bouncers swarmed Ruby, grabbing her harshly.

Three shots fired and Jack saw blood splatter backwards as two of them connected to flesh and bone.

The gun clattered to the ground and Ruby was dragged back to the chairs brutally. It took a lot of bodies to hold her to the chair. Ruby shot a look at Jack that could have been ‘ _I told you so_ ’ or it could have been ‘ _fucking_ do _something_ ’.

“Let her go.” Jack demanded, tearing her eyes away from the vulnerable girl and turning towards the unfairly powerful man opposite her. “She has nothing to do with this.”  

“If you’ve been working together against me, then she’s part of this.” The Boss said.

“Who said we were working together?” Jack half-demanded. “Who even said there was anything to be a part _of_.” She hardened her voice, hoping to sound like she hadn’t accidentally given herself away.  

“She did.” The Boss said, nodding towards Ruby. Jack didn’t even have time to register what had just been said before the world cut to black and she felt a blindfold being tied around her eyes. “In all my years of working this ring and running this area, _no one_ has _ever_ dared to go against me. Get them out of here.”

Someone forced a rag between Jack’s teeth and she managed to let out a short, strangled shout just as she felt a pin prick her neck.

***

Geoff sat in the car, his uniform wrinkling against the cracked leather seats. He tapped out a old rhythm from some rock song he liked in his teens against the steering wheel, his eyes searching the streets for a familiar face.

The clock ticked over to 4 am and Geoff sighed.

Jack had warned him that maybe she would be late leaving work, but an hour? Something wasn’t right.

Geoff sat back in his seat a bit more, making himself more comfortable. He would give Jack another hour before he would really start to panic. Jack could handle herself, Geoff knew that. But, if - _if_ \- anything happened to her….

Geoff turned up the radio in the car to keep thoughts like that out if his mind.

***

Jack was no stranger to interrogations or to pain itself, but having to hear the young girl beside her cry out as she took hit after hit was some new form of torture that Jack wouldn't wish on anybody.

It seemed like months before the guards left the room. Jack’s body ached everywhere she had nerves and she spat out a sticky wad of blood from her mouth. There were cuts and bruises all over her body and Jack couldn’t remember a time a job had left her this damaged.

Jack glanced over at the girl tied to the chair next to her and she wondered how she was still conscious. (It was amazing and terrifying all at once, and Jack hated the small drop of admiration she had for the other girl.)

“Why did you tell them we were working together?” Jack asked, her voice raspy and raw in the silent room. “It was a stupid move. You just put yourself in _danger_.”

“And they probably would have killed Geoff by now.” Ruby said. “They knew there were two of them. At least this way one of you’s safe.”

“It was stupid of you to get involved, Ruby.” Jack said to the silent room.

“ _Lindsay_.”

“What?”

“My name. It's Lindsay.” The young girl said, finally looking up at Jack and keeping her gaze. “If I’m going to die here then someone should know. My real name’s Lindsay Tuggey.”

“No one’s dying here, Lindsay. They don’t want you dead, anyway.” Jack promised. “How much do you owe this guy? It can’t be worth killing you.”

“A couple thousand. It’s all my ex’s debt, anyway.” Lindsay admitted.

“Too much for you to pay off yourself.” Jack said, simply.

“Yeah.” Lindsay looked away, almost ashamed.

“We all make mistakes, Lindsay. I know this doesn’t mean much right now, but there’s always a way out.” Jack said, her voice turning just a little melancholy. “Even if it’s not what you really expect.”

They were quiet for a long time. There weren’t any words for their current situation, so they didn’t even try.

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“That… means a lot, actually.” Lindsay said softly.

Jack shot her a small smile.

“Good. Not hating yourself over every little mistake is the first step to getting out of here alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> obvious plot twist is obvious...


	4. The Goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and this side-story comes to an end (I really need to stop calling them drabbles, it's almost 10k words)
> 
> Thank you to everyone that read this and left a comment or a kudos, you're all incredible and I love you <3
> 
> (quick warning for a bit of blood in this chapter, just in the first bit tho)

“Tell us who paid you.”

“How about you go fuck yourself?”

“Take off another nail.”

Jack screwed up her eyes and bite down on a scream as she felt the pliers settle over the end of her finger. Her silent tears already stained her face and Jack was sure she would never get over the feeling of her blood running down her hand.

“ _STOP_! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP.” Lindsay screamed. The Boss looked at her, barely hiding his amusement.

“Not until she tells us who hired her to be a rat.” The Boss said, shifting his attention back to Jack.

“Fuck _you_ , asshole.” Jack spat, barely being able to speak through her gritted teeth. The Boss was quiet for a moment, silently judging Jack’s words.

“Make it two nails.” The Boss said, standing up and walking towards the door. “And don’t let her pass out. I want her to _really_ think about lying to me.”

***

‘ _Rule number 1 to surviving the criminal world;_ always _trust your partner. Anyone who said you had to work alone to survive the Los Santos criminal underground was bullshitting themselves.'_

 _'The solo act would only get you a bullet in the back since you had no one watching it._ ’

Geoff’s words seem to awaken in her memories and Jack didn’t know why they chose this time to remind her.

Even with Geoff’s advice, Jack never needed anyone to tell her to always trust her partner. Jack wouldn’t _have_ a partner if she didn’t trust Geoff with everything she was.

So Jack knew it was barely a matter of time before _someone_ would come for her.

She just didn’t expect it to be Officer Burns who shook her gently to wake her.

“Ma’am? Ma’am, are you alright?” Burns asked, crouching slightly so he was eye-level with her. Blood from a cut above Jack’s eye had crusted and it took a little while for Jack’s eyes to actually open.

She focused on the man’s face and it took her a moment to place him.

“Ma’am, we need to get you out of here. You need medical attention.” Burns said, standing up and moving to the back of the chair so he could cut Jack free. She looked over at Lindsay, and she felt a stab when she realised the chair was empty.

“Where-” Jack wanted to say but her throat was so raw that her voice cracked. Burns shook his head but he didn’t say anything as tried to help her to her feet.

There was a loud clattering that sounded like it was coming from a few rooms away and Burns looked at Jack, obviously wondering if she could be left alone. He must have decided that she could, because Burns pulled out his gun and left the room.

Barely a few seconds later, Geoff appeared in the room and ran up to her. His hands were gentle as they inspected the visible marks she had acquired over her short time at someone else’s mercy. (Was it a short time? Jack had lost all track of time.)

“Ruby’s with me. I got her out of here but then Burns and a couple cops showed up before I could get you out of here. I think they’re going after the club owners now.” Geoff explained as he hoisted Jack up into his arms. Jack felt herself go lax and rested her head on Geoff’s chest. (Some part of her was surprised that Geoff could still lift her. She had never been the lightest lady ever.)

“You got Ruby?” Jack asked, her voice creaking as she forced the words out.

“I figured you would be pissed if I left her behind.” Geoff admitted, pressing the lightest kiss to Jack’s forehead.

Jack let her eyes close as Geoff carried her out to a car that he had parked just outside the building. Lindsay made a noise of horror from the passenger seat when Geoff laid Jack along the back seat.

“Is she-?”

“She’ll be fine.” Geoff promised, shutting the door and practically jumping into the driver’s seat. “Buckle up, okay? You don’t need any more injuries.”

“Where are we going?” Lindsay asked.

“We’ve got no choice. I’m taking you guys to the hospital.” Geoff said simply.

“We can’t go to the hospital!”

“You _need_ to see a doctor-”

“I know someone we can go see.” Lindsay said suddenly. “He’s trustworthy, and he’s training to be a doctor. Caleb can help us.”

“Okay. Tell me where to go.” Geoff said, turning on the radio but keeping it turned down low.

Jack’s head felt heavy and she knew that sleep wanted to have her.

So she let it.

***

Jack woke up on someone’s couch and Geoff gently stroking her hand.

“Hey partner.” Jack said, her voice raw and weak, but still there. Geoff smiled at her and gripped her hand a bit tighter.

“Jack!” Lindsay exclaimed, coming into her field of view. “You’re okay!” She kneeled beside the sofa Jack was lying on.

“You lost a lot of blood.” A new voice said, _just_ out of Jack’s current range. “Whoever did this to you knew what they were doing and managed to avoid the veins that would make you bleedout. Your injuries are more substantial than Lindsay’s, and it looks like her injuries were just meant to _look_ like they hurt with minimal damage.”

“Have you heard from Burns?” Jack asked.

“Always working,” Geoff muttered, but he had a fond smile on his face. “But yeah, I called him while you were asleep. I’ll tell you what he said when we get home.” Jack nodded and tried to sit up. A sharp pain shot through her abdomen and she lay back down.

“Where are we, anyway?” Jack asked, wanting to look at the person Lindsay had talked about in the car.

“We’re at my friend, Caleb’s, house.” Lindsay explained. “I thought he could help.”

“You did good, Linds. We might have lost you both without any help.” Geoff said softly, looking over at Lindsay. Lindsay looked down at her hands and Jack reached out slowly, covering one of her hands with her own.

“Thank you. Lindsay, really, thank you.” Jack said. “And thank you Caleb.”

“No problem,” Caleb said, sounding like his voice was coming from where Jack supposed the kitchen was. “So, who wants some coffee? I think I have some bread in here if anyone wants toast.”

***

“Lindsay, can we talk with you for a second?” Geoff asked, catching Lindsay just before she walked into the kitchen. Lindsay blinked at him in surprise but followed him to their living room.

Jack was sat in a chair with a small box that had been wrapped up in brown paper in her lap. Lindsay sat on the sofa opposite her, slightly nervous now.

“What’s this?” Lindsay asked, her hands absently tracing the hem of her sleeve. It seemed like a nervous habit of hers.

“We got you something.” Jack said, handing her the box from her lap. Lindsay took it and pulled the brown paper off, staring at the gift inside. She pulled it out and admired it on her grasp.

It was a shiny silver gun with a flower grip. Geoff had gotten it custom made and it had the letters ‘ _R.R._ ’ engraved onto the bottom of the magazine. (They liked to joke about Lindsay’s alter ego as ‘ _Ruby Rose_ ’, so Jack thought it would be a nice reminder).

“What’s the occasion?” Lindsay asked, looking down the sights of the gun and making sure to not aim at either of them. Jack noticed Lindsay’s relaxed but not loose grip on the gun.

“We thought that if we were to bring you on a couple jobs with us, that you might like your own gun.” Geoff admitted, sat on the arm of Jack’s chair. Lindsay looked up at them with disbelief and hope in her eyes. It was such a youthful expression that Jack suddenly remembered that she was barely eighteen. (Jack suddenly realised just how young they _both_ were.)

“Are you serious?” Lindsay asked, her gaze flickering between the two of them.

“So you’re in?” Jack asked.

“Hell yeah!”

***

Lindsay stayed with them for a couple weeks, doing jobs with them and making her own name and making a few of her own connections.

A couple weeks turned into a few months, which turned into almost a year until Lindsay practically had her own small crew and were running their own jobs under the protective gaze of Geoff and Jack.

It wasn’t shameful to admit that there were a few tears shed when Lindsay told them she was going to move into an apartment with a close friend. Geoff had cried the most and hugged Lindsay tight, promising her and her gang protection from any threat. He promised her that she always had a home with them if she ever needed it for _any_ reason (and he meant it with all his heart).

Jack had gifted her with a new gun and a key to a storage facility outside the city with the promise that anything in that storage facility was open for her to use (just sent them a text so they didn’t think they were robbed or something).

There was a strange feeling in their chests when they saw Lindsay’s empty room a week after she moved out. Geoff slung his arm around Jack’s shoulder and it hit both of them in that moment just how lonely a team of two could be. Jack wrapped her arms around his waist, silently drowning herself in memories.

“Do you ever think that we should start looking into hiring some people?” Geoff asked her one night, their bodies curled together and Geoff’s voice gentle in the night. At some point they had realised how much they _didn’t_ want to live without each other, and it was easier to fall together than to pretend they were anything less than the most important person in the other’s life.

“It couldn’t hurt to look into it, I guess.” Jack had replied, her eyes barely open and her breath soft against Geoff’s skin. She was beautiful in the low light with her hair loose around her face. He could have looked at her forever as she fell asleep.

When he woke up the next morning, Geoff couldn’t remember the strange dream that night.

He was watching the dream as if he was an outsider but he saw _himself_ sitting on a child’s bed. His clothes were strange and probably belonged in some old middle ages TV drama, while the young child looked like they were wearing a pale green nightgown.

The dream version of Geoff was tucking the child in and Geoff wondered for a second if it was _his_ child.

“Can I hear a story?” The child asked, their accent strange and different to Geoff’s.

“Of course, little child.” Dream Geoff said, smoothing down the sheets beside the child. “Once there was a Prince who left his kingdom and travelled through a deep dark forest. The Prince was scared as he walked through the forest-”

“But Princes can’t get scared! Royals are never scared!” The child interrupted. “You’re a King and you’re _never_ scared.”

“Royals can be scared sometimes, even I am sometimes.” Dream Geoff said gently.

“When?” The child demanded, frowning at him like they couldn’t believe it.

“I’m scared when you fall out of trees. I’m scared when I don’t hear from Jack when he’s on his way to visit. I’m scared of snakes.” Dream Geoff said. “Can I carry on with the story?”

“Yes.” The child nodded like they were satisfied.

“While the Prince was scared, he stumbled across someone else in the forest. A beautiful woman that lived in forest saw that he was scared and decided to help him. She took his hand and led him back to a nearby kingdom. The Prince stayed in the Kingdom until he was able to get a horse to travel back to his own kingdom, but even when he returned to his own kingdom, the Prince never forgot the woman who helped him. One day, someone knocked on the castle doors. The Prince was confused but he opened the door nonetheless.”

“Who was there?” The child asked, wide eyed and invested in the story. “Was it the forest lady?”

“It _was_ the forest lady.” Geoff said, smiling fondly at the child. “And she needed the King’s help. Her home was in danger and she needed the King’s forces to save it. The Prince remembered the kindness the woman had shown him and argued with his father to send help. Eventually, the King agreed to help the woman and sent his army to aid her kingdom. What followed was a great battle between the King’s army and an evil army that had attacked the woman’s kingdom.”

“What happened next?”

“The King’s army won, but they had lost a lot of great people during it.” Geoff said, softly. “The woman visited the kingdom once again and promised the Prince that, in return for his assistance, he could always find refuge in her kingdom should he need it. And the Prince was confused. ‘ _You’re kingdom?_ ’ The Prince asked. The woman smiled at him and laughed lightly. ‘ _Well yes, I am the Queen after all._ ’”

“What?” The child’s eyes were wide and his accent twisted the word so it sounded like ‘ _wot_ ’. The Dream Geoff laughed lightly. “Wait! What happened next!”

“The Prince and the Queen stayed friends for many years, and their kingdom’s grew strong together. The Queen was a source of comfort when the Prince became a King and the now-King was forever a faithful friend. The King and the Queen ruled their kingdoms to the best of their abilities and they lived long and happy lives. The end.”

The child yawned and the Dream Geoff tucked them in more, kissing their forehead.

“Go to sleep, little child.” Dream Geoff said softly, gently stroking the child’s fluffy hair away from their face.

“‘m not tired.” The child yawned again and rubbed at their eyes absently.

“Of course you aren’t.” The child stretched out a hand towards Dream Geoff and he immediately held the small hand in his own.

“Can you stay with me?” The child asked. Dream Geoff pressed another kiss to the child’s forehead and smiled.

“Of course, I will.”

Dream Geoff held the child’s hand as their eyelids dropped with the weight of exhaustion.

“Can you sing something?” The child asked, barely keeping a yawn out of their voice.

As a reply, Dream Geoff began singing something for the child. It sounded _old_ , like an ancient song that Dream Geoff must have heard as a child and was now passing on to the child before him. It had a gentle melody, but the words were sad and hopeful all at once. It was a song about finding some way to carry on even if the world seemed to to be against you at every turn.

Geoff felt his chest start to ache for a time long gone and woke up to tears staining his face and pillow.

It didn’t take much for Geoff to forget the dream from that night. Life had a habit of doing that.

The only time Geoff came close to remembering that dream was when he came home that afternoon and saw a young-looking teen with wild hair sat across from Jack at their table, a deck of cards between them.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun trivia snippet for anyone who cares: The song Geoff sings babu Gavin is Wings from the RWBY OST from volume 1 :3
> 
> again, thank you to everyone who's gotten this far, I love you <3

**Author's Note:**

> ayo I'm [private-doughnut](http://private-doughnut.tumblr.com/) on tumblr feel free to say hi <3


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